Exercise is the best preventative medicine
Only 21% of adults in the USA meet the governments
recommendations for aerobic and muscle strengthening exercise, according to
recent federal data.
Swimming is a good way to safely exercise. In some ways, the health effects of swimming
are similar to those of land based aerobic activities, such as jogging, walking
or bicycling.
Swimming is a rhythmical aerobic exercise that you can
maintain continuously to improve cardiovascular and muscular health.
Swimming is also very effective at reducing blood pressure
and improving vascular function.
The unique advantage of swimming is that it is done in water
which provides buoyancy and cooling.
This reduces the risk of orthopedic injury as well as the rate of
heat-related illnesses.
Swimming however is not particularly effective at promoting
weight loss. Swimming has a tendency to
stimulate appetite, more so than vigorous land-based exercises like running.
A 2005 study of exercise habits and body weight involving
more than 15,000 adults ages 53-57 showed that those who briskly walked, jogged,
or cycled gained little weight over the course of a decade. Those who swam tended to gain weight.
There is no doubt however that swimming is a beneficial
activity for cardiovascular health.
Simply skip the celebratory cookie after swimming laps.
